Centrifugal clarifier.



L. G. CAMP.

CENTRIFUGAL CLARIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8. 1913.

Patented June 19, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- INVENTOR S V! a E c M n 0 a U mA o G e y B L. G. CAMP.

mm mu Lrf C D LE AL GH U FN Mm T Wm H P A O 6 5 0 3 2 O 1 TNESSES @2%INVENTOR L ee Gordon Cam I By ATTORNEYS LEE GORDONCAMP, or SANTAcrIAia'A," cuBA'.

GENTBIFUGAL CLARIFIEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 19, 1917.

Application filed February 8, 1918. Serial No. 747,152

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, LEE GORDON CAMP, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Santa Clara, Cuba, West Indies, have 1nvented a new andImproved Centrifugal .Clarifier, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved centrifugalclarifier arranged to insure rapid and efficient separation of the solidforeign matter contained in raw or 'defecated cane or beet juice, syrup,liquor, oil and other liquld, and to continually remove the separatedsolids from the machine.

In order to accomplish the desired result use is made ofarevolublevertically-disposed drum, uniformly driven at a high speed, a propellerrotating in the drum independently thereof, and adapted to throw thellqud to be clarified outward by centrifugal force and into contact withthe surface of the said drum, the solids contained in the liquid movingdownward along the inner surface of the said drum and the clarifiedliquid moving upward on the inner surface of the said drum, and thrownoff on the top of the drum by centrifugal force, and a compensatingpower-transmitting device for rotating the said propeller from) !thesaid drum and at a speed governed by the solids accumulating at theinner surface of the drum.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanymg drawings forming a part of this specification, 1n whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the centrifugal clarifier;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the compensatingpower-transmitting device, the section being on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the upper portion ofthe drum and the separating lips.

A vertically disposed drum A is mounted at its lower inwardly-inclinedend A on the downwardly and outwardly flaring rim B of a spider Bsecured on the lower end of a shaft C journalecl in a suitable bearing Dheld on a hanger E attached to a sleeve or othersuitable support. Theupper end of the shaft G is provided with a pulley C connected by a beltwith othermachinery for rotating the shaft 0 and consequently the spiderB and drum A at a high rate of speed. Within the drum A is arranged apropeller F having a bottom disk F, preferably inclined downwardly andoutwardly, and terminating in a depending annular flange F inclinedinwardly and parallel with the end. A of the drum A. The liquid to beclarified is discharged, by the use of a suitable supply pipe or othermeans, onto the disk F. The propeller F is further provided with a helixF extending from the bottom of the flange F of the disk F upward alongsupporting arms F rising from the disk F, the outer edge of the helix F3 being in close proximity to the inner surface of the drum A and itsend A, as plainly shown in Fig. 1. The hub F of the disk F is mounted toturn on a ball bearing G, and the said hub F is secured on a sleeve Hthrough which extends loosely the shaft C.

On the upper end of the sleeve H is secured a disk H on which arefulcrumed at I governor arms I connected with each other by springs J,the tension of which may be regulated by suitable adjusting means J suchas nuts and bolts, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. The governor arms Iare provided along their inner edges with friction blocks I adapted toengage the peripheral face of a friction disk C secured on the shaft C,and the free ends of the arms I are provided along their' outer edgeswith friction blocks I adapted to engage a brake band K attached to thebearing D. By the arrangement described the propeller F is driven fromthe shaft C as long as the friction blocks I frictionally engage thedisk C but the speed of the propeller'F is retarded when the machine isin operation, as hereinafter .more fully explained, so that thepropeller F runs at a lower rate of speed than the drum A.

The upper end of the drum A is provided-with an annular lip A slightlyinclined upwardly and inwardly, the lip terminating with anoutwardly-extending flange A projecting beyond the outer surface of thedrum A for delivering the clarified liquid into an annularly inclinedtrough L held on the inside of a shell N inclosing the drum A and thepropeller F.

The trough L is provided with a discharge pipe L for carrying off theclarilied liquid to a suitable place of discharge. In order to permittreating liquids which contain two different grades of suspended matter,one heavier and one lighter, use is made of a second lip O spaced fromthe inner edge of the lip A to form a passage between the lips A and Ofor the clarified liquid and to allow the light impurities to travel upthe lip '0 and over an outwardlyextcndiug annular flange O to finallypass into a Second annular trough P arranged on the shell N. A pipe Pconnected with the trough P serves to carry off the light impurities toa place of discharge separate from the clarified liquid.

The flange 0' is attached to vertical bolts Q, adjustably screwing inthe lip A to permit of setting the lip O nearer to or farther from thelip A'-. It is understood that the light impurities readily separate atthe lips A and owing to the centrifugal action of the drum A and thehelix F.-

The operation is as follows, it being assumed that defecated cane juiceis to be treated:

When the machine is empty and the shaft C is rotated and with it thedrum A, as previously explained, then motion is given to the sleeve Hand the propeller F owing to the blocks I of the governor levers Iengaging the disk C on the shaft C. Thus the propeller F rotates withthe drum A and when near the predetermined operating speed then thesupply valve of the supply pipe is opened to allow the defecated canejuice to flow onto the disk F, at or near the middle thereof, wherebythe cane juice is thrown outward by centrifugal force, the outwardmovement being finally arrested by the cane juice striking the innersurface of the drum A. The cane juice, owing to the action of therotating helix F tends to climb upward on the inner surface of the drumA, thus forming a wall of liquid containing solids on the inner surfaceof the said drum. The inertia of this juice has a tendency to cause thepropeller F to lag or lose speed owing to the fact that power isabsorbed or used in setting the juice into motion, while on the otherhand the suspended matter, which has been thrown onto the inner surfaceof the drum A owing to its greater specific gravity, displaces a certainportion of the liquid and creates a frictional contact which withinlimits counteracts the retarding influence of the incoming liquid on thehelix F In the event of the retarding action of the incoming liquidcausing a greater lag than has been predetermined as desirable forproper clarification, then the governor continues to clutch the disk Con the shaft C and maintains the proper or somewhat higher rate ofrotation until sufiicient solids have accumulated along the inner wallof the drum A so as to maintain the required lag, while on the otherhand if the frictional contact of the solids along the inner surface ofthe drum A is so great as to overcome the resistance of the incomingjuice plus the required lag then the governor releases its clutch on thedisk (J and brakes against the stationary brake disk K until the speedof the propeller F has the proper relation to the speed of the drum A.When this relation 13 established the propeller F revolves at arelativelv lower speed than the outer drum A and conveys the separatedsolids which cling to the inner surface of the drum A downward andeventually discharge the same at the open bottom of the drum A at theoutwardly flaring rim B of the spider B. In the meantime, the supply ofjuice contmumg and the solids displacing the liquid along the outeredge, the clarified liquid is forced backward or inward until thevertical plane of the upper lip A of the outer drum A is reached andthen the clarified liquid passes over the said lip A and is thrownoutward on the top of the lip A and over the flange A to be interceptedby the inner wall of the shell N, and to flow down the same into thetrough L, from which the clarified juice is discharged into a tank orother suitable receptacle. From the foregoing it will be seen that bythe arrangement described the solid foreign matter is separated from theliquid and the solid matter and the liquid are continually andseparately 100 discharged from the machine. In order to prevent anyliquid from moving downward with the solids the lower ends of the drum Aand helix F are inclined inwardly so that the solids practically form aseal at this point 105 and cause an upward flow of the liquid.

As shown in Fig. 1 the machine is overhead driven but may be driven frombelow, and may be built self-contained or supported on externalstructures, as the condi- 110 tions may require. The form of thegovernor may also be varied and may be made effective for liquidscontaining a large percentage of solids or for liquids containing only0.2 per cent. of solid matter.

It is understood that by adjusting the tension of the springs J of thegovernor the machine can be readily set for treating different defecatedcane juices, as the percentage of solids varies in different canejuices.

It will further be noticed that the inertia of the incoming liquid isutilized as a force for the discharge of the separated solids.

It will be understood that where a machine is under driven, for thepurpose of simplifying the construction, the outer drum may be carriedon the hollow sleeve and the propeller disk on the solid shaft, in whichevent the belt pulley would be attached to the hollow sleeve.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

-1. A centrifugal clarifier, comprising a vertically-disposed drumprovided with a central shaft, means for driving the said shaft at ahigh rate of speed, a propeller arranged in the said drum and having abottom disk and a helix, the edge of which extends into close proximityto the inner surface of the said drum, the said disk hav ing a centralsleeve through which extends the said shaft, a friction disk on the saidshaft, and a centrifugal governor mounted on the said sleeve and havingfriction blocks engaging the said friction disk.

2. A centrifugal clarifier comprising a vertically disposed drumprovided with a central shaft, means for driving the shaft at a highrate of speed, a propeller arranged in the drum and having a bottom diskand a helix, said disk having a central sleeve through which extends thesaid shaft, a friction disk on said shaft, a brake band disposedconcentrically of said friction disk, and ,a centrifugal governorcarried by said sleeve and having frictional blocks arranged to normallyengage said friction disk and being provided with additional frictionblocks for engaging said brake band at a predetermined increase ofspeed.

3. A centrifugal clarifier comprising a vertically disposed drumprovided with a central shaft, means for driving the shaft at a highrate of speed, a propeller arranged in the drum and having a bottom diskand a helix, said disk having a central sleeve through which extends thesaid shaft, a friction disk on said shaft, a brake band disposedconcentrically of said friction disk, a centrifugal governor carried bysaid sleeve and having frictional blocks arranged to normally engagesaid friction disk and being provided with additional friction blocksfor engaging said brake band at a predetermined increase of speed, and acentrifugal governor comprising a pair of pivoted arms on opposite sidesof said shaft, each of said arms being provided with friction blocksarranged to engage said disk,'springs having their ends secured to theopposed arms for holding said friction blocks on said disk, and a shoecarried by each of said arms and arranged to engage the brake band at apredetermined increase of speed.

4. A centrifugal clarifier, comprising a revoluble vertically disposeddrum to be driven at a high rate of speed and open at its lower andupper ends, a rotatory propeller in said drum adapted to throw the iquidto be clarified outwardly by centrifugal force into contact with theinner vertical wall of said drum, whereby the solids contained in theliquid move downward along the inner surface of the said drum and theclarified liquid move upward on the inner surface of said drum to bethrown ofi at the top of the drum by centrifugal force of the drum, andan automatic compensating power-transmitting device for rotating saidpropeller from said drum at a speed governed by the amount of solidsaccumulating at the inner surface of the drum.

5. A centrifugal clarifier comprising a vertical revoluble drum to bedriven at a uniform high rate of speed and open at top and bottom, theupper edge of the drum. having an inwardly extending annular lip, arotatory propeller in the said drum adapted to throw the liquid to beclarified outward by centrifugal force and into contact with the innersurface of said drum, and an automatic compensating power-transmittingdevice for rotating the said propeller from said drum at a speedgoverned by the amount of solids contalned in the liquid andaccumulating at the inner surface of the drum, whereby the accumulatingsolids will move downwardly along the inner wall of the drum and theclarified liquid pass upwardly along the inner surface of the drum andaround the said lip to be thrown off by the centrifugal force of thedrum.

6. A centrifugal clarifier comprising a vertical revoluble drum to bedriven at a uniform high rate of speed and open at top and bottom, theupper end of the drum having an inwardly extending annular lip, arotatory propeller in the said drum adapted to throw the liquid to beclarified outwardly by centrifugal force into contact with the innersurface of said drum, the said propeller having a bottom disk and helix,the outer edge of which is in close proximity to the inner surface ofthe said drum, and a compensating power transmitting device for rotatingthe said propeller from the said drum and at a speed governed by thesolids contained in the liquid and accumulating at the inner surface ofthe drum, whereby the accumulating solids will move downwardly along theinner surface of the drum and the clarified liquid pass upwardly alongthe inner surface of the drum and around said lip to be thrown off onthe top of the lip LEE GORDON CAMP.

B. Caruso, M. VIOLA H. CAMP.

